John Sharkey

Hello Golfers,

Welcome to another exciting edition of the weekly newsletter bringing you all of the latest goings-on from around the club.

Enjoy the read!

Pro's news

East Region Capt Pro Challenge

A great day out at Old Fold Manor golf club with Captain Chas Vincent in the PGA East Region Capt Pro event.

Ultimately we didn’t win our way through to the National finals in Italy but we did well enough to finish in the top half on the scoreboard. The Captain played brilliantly well contributing 4 net birdies to our total.

A memorable day many thanks Chas.

Pro Shop Matchplay – Golf Holiday Mar Menor Spain 3rd October 2019

The first of our Pro Shop matchplay team events is now just around the corner with 16 members joining John and Jonny in this Ryder Cup style Team event at Mar Menor Spain.

Team Sharkey (Jonny) versus Team Sharkey Senior (John). The draw for teams were made last Saturday and a competitive match looks to brewing nicely, if comments on the WhatsApp group are anything to go by.

Some people are suggesting already a Miracle in Mar Menor will be required Let’s wait and see.

Courses on the itinerary on this trip include Mar Menor, La Torre and Alhama.

Club news

Is this the best shot played at the Links this year?

James Cowley last week played what I consider the best shot of 2019 at the Links GC and we are lucky enough to have it on camera.

Playing the second hole James found his ball stymied by a tree to the left of the second green. Not to be outdone he came up with a very imaginative escape route, you just have to see it.

Brilliant James well played.

Junior news

Future is Female

Jonny and I had the pleasure on Sunday this week of introducing a group of 18 Junior girls to this great game of golf.

The organising of this Chip and Sip initiative has been 3 months in the making and to get 18 young girls trying golf for the first time was an absolutely fantastic effort by everyone on the Junior Committee.

The main objective was for the girls to have fun so we held some putting games and competitions on the short game area followed by the hitting some full shots on the range to set them on their golf journey.

The golf was followed by some refreshments, festival face art and nail painting in the clubhouse afterwards. What a great afternoon

There was some great golf on display and some serious potential maybe for future Solheim Cup teams!

Coaching news

Putting Myths Unravelled

Jonny I need to hit up on a putt to get the ball rolling correctly?
Hitting up on a putt increases forward roll doesn’t it?

I get asked these questions regularly by clients when it comes to getting the ball rolling on the greens. To break this down the putter should travel in a pendulum swing from the start of the downstroke into impact and into the follow-through.

I see too many people with too short backstrokes and too long and exaggerated through strokes.

The two pictures show two different through strokes:

As you can see from the data from Quintic Ball Roll, the long exaggerated through swing (Picture A) creates a high launch angle which creates no forward roll on the ball, the ball will bounce and take longer to get into roll.

(see video). The shorter finished through stroke (Picture B) has created a lower launch angle and the ball has forward roll on it straight away hugging the green and getting into roll quicker.

I often tell my players to feel like Brandt Snedeker with a pop stroke. Come see what launch angle you have with just one putt on my Roll Board and get you rolling the ball better!

Click here and get in touch if you need help with your putting stroke.

Course news

Course Maintenance

You will have noticed over the last week or so the fairways have been scarified and verticut to stimulate growth and recovery.

On Monday and Tuesday this week it was the greens turn to be hollowed tined and overseeded as part of the Autumn greens programme.

We thank you for your patience with the course closures that have been in place.

Studio news

Play Pebble Beach this Autumn

At the Links Golf Lab have just added Pebble Beach to our library of courses.

Currently, we’re downloading the software and setting it up for members to play. The special scenery at Pebble makes it one of one of the most picturesque courses in the World and with the new software it’s making it come alive in Newmarket.

Watch out for some special offers and times for you to enjoy the experience with us.

Here’s Jonny playing nearest the pin at the iconic 90 yard 7th hole.

A brilliant upgrade

It's great walking to the first tee with a new driver in hand (that's been custom fitted to suit your swing, of course) that you know will help you outdrive your playing partners, but sometimes it can be a simple change to the ball that you're using that has the biggest effect on your game.

The all-new Srixon AD333 golf ball

The AD333 model has been around a long time – since 2003 to be exact – and with every updated release it continues to get better and better.

Well, you can now get your hands on the ninth-generation AD333 in-store, which has just been launched by Srixon, and once again it offers remarkable value for money.

We are pleasently surprised at its exceptional performance in all departments, especially when it comes to distance, spin and control.

There is plenty more to it too so why not put them into play today and see why the AD333 continues to be one of the most popular balls around? Pop into the shop to get yours!

explore the AD333 >

A warmer option

As we begin the inevitable slide to Christmas (yes, I said it), it's time to ditch the shorts for some warmer layers. Fortunately, we have a range of mid-layers and jackets available through us that will keep you warm and dry whilst successfully battling the elements this winter.

Layer up with Under Armour

There used to be a time when 'layering' meant chucking on as many clothes as you possibly could in order to keep warm on a winter's day, which regularly resulted in problems when it came to swinging a club.

Luckily for us, today's golf clothing has come a long way in recent years. Not only will you be proud to wear outfits from Under Armour's collection above, but you'll need fewer layers and won't be restricted or overheat whilst playing either!

shop UA's collection >

Trip abroad, anyone?

Honestly, we don't think there has ever been a better time to book a golf holiday abroad. Why? Because our friends at Your Golf Travel are going the extra yard to make sure you have a memorable trip, giving away everything from free buggies to free equipment!

CALL: 0207 366 5416 | QUOTE: SHAR172

If you're interested in a golfing holiday, we can get you a fantastic deal through Your Golf Travel. Simply call the number above and quote our code SHAR172.

Las Lomas Village, La Manga

explore our golf holidays >

Video of the Week

With the scores tied at 8-8 going into Sunday's singles matches, we were set for a thriller and the teams didn't disappoint. Watch this video to see how the drama unfolded on the final day at Gleneagles.

Have a good week on the Links

The Links Golf Club
Cambridge Road
Newmarket
CB8 0TG

Phone: 01638 662395

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